Zimbabwe Strengthens National Commitment to Open Science at the 6th ZULC Biennial Conference

Harare, Zimbabwe | 7 July 2026

The Zimbabwe Open Science Stakeholder Convening, held as a side event during the 6th Biennial Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium (ZULC) Conference, successfully brought together policymakers, university leaders, librarians, researchers, research infrastructure organizations, and international Open Science partners to chart a coordinated path toward advancing Open Science in Zimbabwe.

Hosted at Manna Resorts, Harare, the convening was jointly organized by the Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium (ZULC), the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa), and PLOS, with support from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (MHTEISTD).

The hybrid event attracted both in-person and virtual participants, demonstrating growing national interest in strengthening Zimbabwe’s research ecosystem through Open Science.

Building Momentum for Open Science in Zimbabwe

The convening was organized against the backdrop of increasing global and continental efforts to make research more transparent, accessible, collaborative, and impactful. Across Africa, governments, higher education institutions, and research organizations have been strengthening policies and infrastructure that promote Open Science as a driver of research excellence and innovation.

While Zimbabwe has made important strides in research governance, scholarly communication, and digital research infrastructure, participants acknowledged that many Open Science initiatives had remained fragmented. The convening therefore provided an important platform for stakeholders to align priorities, strengthen collaboration, and begin identifying practical pathways toward a coordinated national Open Science strategy.

Setting the Regional and National Context

The convening was moderated by Joy Owango, Executive Director of TCC Africa, who opened the discussions by highlighting the rapid evolution of Open Science across Africa. She emphasized the importance of regional collaboration, policy alignment, and sustainable digital infrastructure in supporting national research systems.

The official welcome remarks were delivered by Blessing Chiparausha, Chairperson of ZULC, who outlined the objectives of the convening and reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to strengthening research support services and scholarly communication across Zimbabwean universities.

Learning from Regional and Continental Experiences

One of the strengths of the convening was the diversity of perspectives shared by regional and international experts.

Dr. Sylvance Okoth, Executive Secretary of the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), shared lessons from East Africa’s Open Science journey, illustrating how regional collaboration, policy harmonization, and institutional commitment had accelerated Open Science implementation across several countries.

Higher education leadership was further explored by Professor Kuzvinetsa P. Dzvimbo, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE), who discussed the strategic role universities play in embedding Open Science into institutional governance, research quality assurance, and national development agendas.

From a scholarly publishing perspective, Roheena Anand, Executive Director for Global Publishing Development and Sales at PLOS, highlighted practical approaches to increasing equitable participation in Open Science and scholarly communication.

Institutional readiness was addressed by Dr. Felicia Nkrumah Kuagbedzi, Acting Coordinator for ICT, Communications and Knowledge Management at the Association of African Universities (AAU). She presented AAU’s experiences in supporting African universities through governance frameworks, policy development, capacity strengthening, and regional collaboration initiatives that enable sustainable Open Science implementation.

Understanding Zimbabwe’s Current Landscape

A major highlight of the convening was the presentation of findings from Zimbabwe’s national Open Science stakeholder survey.

Presented by Blessing Chiparausha, the survey offered valuable insights into the country’s current Open Science landscape, identifying both existing strengths and areas requiring further investment. The findings served as the evidence base for the subsequent policy dialogue and will inform ongoing discussions on national priorities.

Infrastructure readiness was subsequently explored by Mrs. Miriam Chahuruva, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Research and Education Network (ZIMREN), who outlined the critical role of national research and education networks in enabling data sharing, collaboration, digital repositories, and broader Open Science infrastructure.

The discussion was further enriched by Professor Innocent Chirisa, Vice Chancellor of Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU), who reflected on the role of universities in fostering institutional cultures that support openness, collaboration, and research excellence.

Participants also heard from Maria Stella Namyalo, Programme Officer for Science, Technology and Innovation at AUDA-NEPAD, who highlighted continental initiatives supporting Open Science and the African Union’s broader vision for strengthening research and innovation ecosystems across Africa.\

From Dialogue to Action

The stakeholders convening brought together participants to discuss practical implementation pathways for Open Science in Zimbabwe.

Guided by findings from the national stakeholder survey, discussions focused on identifying national priorities for Open Science policy development, strengthening research infrastructure, creating incentives for researchers, and integrating Open Science principles into institutional and national governance frameworks.

Participants emphasized the importance of coordinated leadership across government, universities, research institutions, libraries, publishers, and research support organizations. The dialogue also underscored the need for sustained investment in digital infrastructure, research data management, policy development, and capacity building to ensure long-term success.

The session concluded with a broad consensus that Zimbabwe has a significant opportunity to build an Open Science ecosystem that aligns with continental initiatives while responding to national priorities.

Key Outcomes

The convening achieved several important outcomes, including:

• A shared understanding of Zimbabwe’s Open Science landscape, including existing strengths and key implementation challenges. 
• Consensus on priority areas for advancing Open Science, including policy development, sustainable funding, digital infrastructure, research data management, and capacity building.
• Recognition of policy entry points for embedding Open Science within existing national and institutional frameworks.
• Strengthened collaboration among government agencies, universities, libraries, publishers, and regional organizations (particularly MHTEISTD, ZULC, ZIMREN) to advance Zimbabwe’s Open Science agenda.
• Consensus on the need for a national Open Science strategy led by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (MHTEISTD).

More on the convening discussion can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jkRY8e0ZlRlbwi5BmF4vV0bX6SYHR4ht2_6erCdPkUI/edit?usp=sharing

Looking Ahead

The Zimbabwe Open Science Stakeholder Convening marked an important milestone in the country’s journey toward more open, collaborative, and impactful research.

By bringing together national decision-makers alongside regional and international partners, the convening established a strong foundation for future collaboration and demonstrated Zimbabwe’s growing commitment to aligning with Africa’s broader Open Science agenda.

As conversations continue beyond the conference, the partnerships strengthened during the convening are expected to contribute to the development of policies both at the national and institutional levels, including the inclusion of open science principles in national higher education policies or acts, and infrastructure, with continued efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of shared infrastructure for open science.

For more information, contact:

Public  Relations Team

Training Centre in Communication

Faculty of Science and Technology

Gecaga Institute Bldg.,

Chiromo Campus, University of Nairobi